Application of Pd silicide in the process of silicon detectors

A novel self-aligned metal-silicide process technology is reported. It has been found very useful in improving detector leakage current, detector yield, and junction contact resistance. The use of a metal silicide gives a reduced contact resistance and, depending on the thermal process, a controllable junction depth, which may be essential in the integration of detectors and their electronics. This technology does not require a new mask step in the existing detector fabrication process and can be used for any other refractory metal silicide, including Ti silicide. A rapid thermal process technique has been found which is essentially suitable in this self-aligned metal-silicide technology, though further modifications need to be made in order to achieve better control of uniform heating and therefore uniform metal-silicide and uniform drive-in of implanted ions